A Different Kind of Friendship
by loonie lupin
Summary: A series of one-shots centered about a developping friendship between Adam and Harry, after the latter moved to NY to get away from England.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (1/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Harry meets someone in a bar and finds out it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **060. Drink.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**060. Drink.**

Once the war had been over, Harry had decided not to stay in England anymore. His friends had been put out, to say the least, having thought they would all stay together but, in the end, they had respected his decision. They knew, of course, that Harry would never have been able to live a normal life, his only dream, if he stayed in the United Kingdom. His fame, which had bothered him since the moment he had entered the wizarding world, had skyrocketed after the final battle against Voldemort. It was to be expected, really, but he couldn't even go grocery shopping anymore without being almost mauled by the crowd and he just couldn't stand it anymore.

Ginny had been disappointed, when he had told her his decision, that they would not get to live the picket-fences life she had planned for them before, but she had been also mature enough to realize they had both changed a lot during the year they had been apart and that their relationship had never taken off the way it should have once they had been reunited. In the end, it had been a nice dream, one they would always cherish, but nothing more than a dream. They had parted on good terms, though, and there was no bad blood between them.

Harry had decided on the United States, mostly because of the language. Plus, it should not only be far enough from England, but also untouched by Voldemort, that his fame shouldn't have reached out there. Besides, he had always dreamt of visiting New York, ever since he was a kid. His relatives had talked about it, from time to time, but never got the chance to, because of money. However, hearing them talk about it had given Harry dreams of traveling there.

So he had brought a one-way ticket to JFK airport, jumped in the plane and had begun a new life in the Big Apple, as it was affectionately called. He had opted to stay in the muggle world. Not only did he miss a world where the technological level was up past the Middle-Ages, but also he was certain not to be recognized. It was nice and New York was a very dynamic city, a city that never slept, quite a bit like Harry actually.

He was renting an apartment for the time being. He knew he had more than enough money in his bank account (and wasn't he glad the goblins had decided to forgive the break-in) to buy a flat or even a house but, for the moment, he hadn't decided with finality whether he wanted to stay there or not so he was taking the time to think about it. He wasn't working either but, for that, he would have more than enough time. First, he needed to find his marks.

Right now, he was sitting in a bar, listing to modern music, which he had to admit he appreciated far better than the Sisters, and watching people come and go. It was a hobby of his, one in which he indulged quite frequently. He was only drinking club soda, never mind the fact he could have used his magical ID to buy alcohol. He had never really liked drinking and it seemed pretty stupid to break the law if he couldn't even enjoy it.

Something suddenly caught his eyes or, most pointedly, someone. Someone was watching him with a look indicating recognition in his eyes. Harry found it strange. It was the very first time it had happened since he had entered the country. Normally, he would have felt uneasy, or even annoyed, but the man didn't seem incline to make a move. There was no sign he was going to try and talk to him. He just seemed to throw him some look quickly, as if he was trying not to stare but too curious for his own good.

Harry hesitated for a second. He knew that the smart things to do would have been getting out of there and never look back, especially since the whole point of leaving England had been not to be considered a celebrity by the outside world anymore but, on the other hand, he was quite curious himself. How could someone, a muggle at that, from halfway around the world, know who he was? It was a mystery and, as anyone who actually knew him could confirm, Harry had never been capable of letting a mystery go unanswered.

He took his drink in hand and got up, walking straight to the man whose eyes seemed to widen comically in fear as he watched Harry closing in on him. Harry smiled, trying to reassure him, telling him silently he wasn't going to attack or anything like this. It wasn't his usual style but, apparently, the man was very uncomfortable with being caught staring.

"Hello," Harry began pleasantly. "I couldn't help noticing you staring at me. Do you know me?"

It was a direct approach and most of his friends, Hermione in particular, would groan at this point, annoyed by his lack of subtlety, but Harry tended to prefer doing things that way. It may lack subtlety, yes, but at least you didn't spend hours in pointless chatter before getting to the point.

The man stammered for a bit, before finding his voice.

"Yes, I mean no. I mean, I know who you are but I don't really know you, only what is said about you and most of it is probably wrong anyway but I thought I recognized and it just seemed strange for you to be there and…. Sorry for staring?" he finished, almost _asking_ Harry and the young wizard had to smile.

Someone was nervous apparently but Harry got the impression, especially after seeing the man's almost exasperated with himself look, that it didn't have a lot to do with Harry but mostly was him being himself.

"Well, I'm Harry Potter, which you seem to know already, and you are?"

He sat down in front of the man, not asking permission, and looked expectantly. His interlocutor seemed dumbfounded for a minute, either by his forwardness or his interest, and then he realized he had been asked a question.

"Adam, Adam Ross," he informed. "You're not mad that I…"

Harry shook his head good-naturedly. Strangely enough, he wasn't.

"I'm used to it," he shrugged – wasn't that the truth? – and he decided against telling the man that it was the reason he had left England in the first place. "But I must admit I'm surprised to be recognized there, especially when you don't seem to be a…"

He let his sentence go unfinished, knowing he wasn't supposed to say the word when there was a chance the person in front of him didn't know about magic. Adam's recognition of him made him almost certain he was aware but he didn't want to take the risk. Adam seemed to understand, though.

"I'm not," he quickly said. "I had a friend who was when I was a kid. He wasn't supposed to tell me but I saw a few things and he did and he had a lot of story about you. I think they began to appear when I was almost ten and…"

Harry nodded. It made sense. He had been told about the children books written about him and the fact they were very enjoyable for kids around that age.

"Well, you were right when you said most of them weren't true," Harry said because, quite frankly, the only things that was remotely factual was what was written about October 31th and it was mostly speculation on what could have happened inside the house; the rest was pure invention from business men who wanted to take advantage of his popularity to commercialize their products.

"Sorry about…"

"It's fine. So tell me, what do you do when you're not reading children books?"

Adam was all set for defending himself, telling Harry it had been a long time ago, when he saw Harry's mischievous smile.

"Ah…. You're joking. Funny."

It seemed he was used to be considered as a joke and Harry felt a pang of sympathy. He had to admit, it hadn't been very nice of him and Adam looked kind of a loner, a lot like Harry used to be, before Hogwarts.

"Well, about the book part anyway. I'm really interested in knowing what you do."

And he was. Since coming to the States, he had been all alone and Adam was the first person he had talked to for more than a few phrases here and there, the bare necessities. He appeared to be quite nice and he already knew the existence of the magical world without being a part of it; all in all, it would be nice to have him as a friend.

Adam looked at him quizzically, probably trying to decide whether or not Harry was putting a joke on him and Harry tried to show his sincerity.

"Tell you what," Harry tried to encourage. "Lose the hero image you have of me and I'm sure we could have fun together."

He meant it too. Adam seemed a good person and maybe, just maybe, he had finally found a reason to make his stay in New York permanent. After all, what better motivation then a friend?


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (2/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Harry is looking for an apartment, Adam has problems with his landlord two problems, one solution.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **009. Months.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**009. Months **

Harry's life had changed quite a bit in the last few months. When he had arrived in New York, he hadn't been certain he was going to stay there; after all, he had no special reason to. The only motivation he had had to come there was that it was a place he had always wanted to visit but it didn't mean he would like to stay indefinitely. He had been hesitation, trying to decide one way or another, until the night he had met Adam.

He had taken a chance – good thing he had always been impulsive – when he had decided to befriend the kindly man he had met in a bar. He hadn't known him at all but had seen the possibility to talk to someone without having to edit his life to avoid revealing the existence of magic. Once he had asked Adam to forget about the 'hero' image, he had become less nervous. He still was a bit, yes, but Harry had quickly come to realize it was his default mode. It made him quite endearing and showed that he had an innocence left in him, quite visible, even with all he saw in his job. Harry wasn't sure how he had managed to retain it but he envied him in a way. It would have been nice to still possess some kind of innocence after all he had been through but, in the end, it had been impossible; maybe he had never really been an innocent child, the Dursleys had made sure of that.

Anyway, his meeting with Adam had been the catalyst to his decision to stay in New York and their friendship had grown since then. He wasn't as close to him as he had been to Ron and Hermione and Harry wasn't certain he would ever grow as close to anyone as he had been to them because, after all they had been through together, they could say their friendship had been forged in fire and cemented into something very special, very unique.

Still, he was becoming quite fond of Adam and they saw each other quite a lot. He was Harry's only friend in the States and Harry had the impression that, except from the people he worked with at the lab, Adam didn't really have any other friends either. It was a shame for such a good person; people didn't know what they were missing.

One thing he still hadn't decided, though, was where he would live. He knew he had to change apartment. Not only did he want to buy one, but it had to be in a good place, one where he could see himself live years from now. While he did like the place he was renting, it was way too small if he ever wanted to receive visitors and he knew that, at some point or another, Hermione would insist on coming and where Hermione went, Ron would follow.

He was skimming through the newspaper, a daily habit now, trying to see if there was an ad that could correspond to his need and want, when his front door opened and closed in quick succession. There was only one person who would come in uninvited and it was Adam.

His hypothesis was confirmed when the scientist let himself fall on the sofa, besides him. Harry looked at him, amused. Adam had his eyes closed and looked absolutely exhausted. He was also almost pouting, which made him look about twelve. Not for the first time, Harry wondered how much he had to do at the office to make him so tired at the end of the day; he knew however that most of Adam's work was confidential so he didn't usually ask many questions.

"Hard day at work?" Harry inquired; just because he didn't ask many questions, didn't mean he asked none at all.

Adam opened an eye, looking at his friend, and sighed, closing it again.

"No, it was alright. Lots of test but fun ones mostly. Not that the case was fun, it wasn't, but some of the things I had to do were enjoyable. I think Mac think I'm enjoying it a bit too much actually, the way he looks at me sometimes. Anyway, it's mostly problems with my landlord."

Harry blinked. He had become quite used, in all the months they had spent together, to the torrent of words that frequently poured from Adam's lips in a rush. The man could talk and talk and talk. However, after a while, he tended to tell you the information you were waiting for. You just had to learn to filter what you were hearing.

"Your landlord?"

Harry frowned. It was hardly the first time he had heart Adam complain about some problems with the man who owned the apartment he lived in but it was the first time he seemed so defeated. He hated seeing his friend down like that and was thinking more and more seriously about the solution he had imagined a few weeks ago already. He just wasn't sure Adam would accept.

"I swear, that man has it in for me. There are always problems with my place that the other people living there don't seem to have. It's just me. I'm not sure what he has against me but, right now, he says it's going to take a while to get the heating back on in my flat. I mean, it's almost winter, there should be heating."

Harry frowned. The situation was really getting too serious to just let it go anymore. It was impossible that no one would be able to repair the heating before that long, especially in winter. The only reason would be the landlord himself doesn't want to get it repaired for the moment and, quite frankly, Harry had half a mind to go talk to the man and tell him exactly what he thought of his attitude. Of course, he knew that it would hardly help Adam out in the end, so he squished the urge and, instead, asked the question he should have a while ago now.

"Look. I'm looking for a new apartment myself. Why don't we look together and you can stay with me. It would be nice not to come home to an empty place and, since I'm buying and not renting, I'm fairly sure you won't have a problem with the landlord. Except if you do something to piss me off…," he added the last part jokingly.

Harry really hoped that Adam would accept his proposal, not only because Harry would be less worried about that landlord problem, but because he wasn't lying when he said it would be nice not to be alone at home. While he was perfectly able to take care of himself and living on his own, he was used to Hogwarts and all his dorm mates, the year he had spent with Ron and Hermione on the run, the Burrow where he had stayed with Ron and his family. The only place he had been really alone was Privet Drive and, quite frankly, it wasn't among his best memories so he would rather have someone to share his apartment with.

Adam jolted awake, looking at him with big eyes. It was apparently not something he had expected but Harry could guess he wasn't against the idea.

"Are you sure?" he asked, amazed.

Harry just had to smile at his enthusiasm. He deduced that the answer was yes before Adam even had to say it. Yes, it was going to be a very nice cohabitation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (3/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Adam comes home smelling of weird chemical Harry is reminded of potions.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **036. Smell.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**036. Smell.**

Harry had been right; the beginning of his cohabitation with Adam had gone without an itch. Of course, they both had very different temperament and they didn't always agree on everything, especially now that Adam had realized Harry wasn't going to throw him out just because he had dared to disagree with him. However, that had been expected and would have been the same for any two people deciding to suddenly share a living space. It was simply impossible to always be on the same wavelength.

Still, he felt that asking Adam to live with him had been one of his best ideas. Of course, that didn't mean he particularly enjoyed welcoming Adam home after working on one of his case had made him smell about the same than if he had gone dumpster diving. Thankfully, it didn't happen very often and, when it did, Adam usually showered at work, not wanting to stay that way any longer than necessary.

Today was different apparently. To be fair, it wasn't the smell of either detritus or rotting cadaver – and thanks Merlin for small mercies – but a fairly chemical smells, probably a mix of different products interacting together.

"I know, I know, I smell absolutely rotten," Adam said with a grimace before he even had time to say hello. "Hurgh, I don't know how many showers I will need to get rid of that smell."

Harry could see Adam didn't appreciate the smell any more than him but it seemed to be purely a question of odor. For Harry, it was the memory this scent brought back that made him tick. It kind of reminded him of the dungeons of Hogwarts.

"You smell like my old potion classroom" he called after Adam, who went straight to the bathroom, to get rid of his clothes and probably jumping in the shower without wasting a single second.

Harry wasn't certain he even wanted to know what it was that Adam had had to do during his work hours to end up in such a state. He was fairly sure that, not only did he not want to know the details, but he probably wouldn't understand a word of the explanation either, since it probably involved quite a lot of chemical products and technical procedures he would have difficulty to follow even if he had an education that surpassed primary school in the muggle world.

Harry sighed and began to set the table; it was late after all and Adam would probably be hungry by now. He shook his head as he realized his thoughts process. He really had to find something to do with his days before he ended up a housewife, Harry mused humorously. It wasn't that he didn't want to work that was the problem, though. It was his lack of muggle education. In these conditions, finding a job in the muggle world would be hard. Still, he would have to try.

Adam stayed a very long time in the shower, probably having to wash himself thoroughly quite a few times to get completely rid of the smell. Harry had more or less planned for that so the meal was still warm when he sat down in front of him.

"Feeling better?"

Adam gave him a gigantic smile and the answer became superfluous.

"Much, thanks. At least I don't need to stop breathing anymore to avoid gagging. That was becoming rather tiring. But I just spent the whole day around all these products, trying to find the right combination in the right proportions to get the exact same mix we found at the crime scene and it took ages and the products smell so bad and impregnate the clothes so quickly. Hurgh. I hope I won't have to do anything like that again for a while. I mean, I love my job but there are parts I could do without. You say it reminded you of your potion lab? That must have been so cool!"

Harry chuckled. It wasn't really the word he would have employed himself.

"Not really. The teacher was atrocious. Well, he was a bad teacher, not a bad person in the end. But it took me quite some time to see that."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, frowning, apparently curious.

Harry had to admit it was perfectly normal. After all, he hadn't talked a lot about his life in the magical world. Granted he didn't have to hide its existence, not with Adam knowing, but that didn't mean he usually talked about it, not with everything that had happened in the last few years. Still, that didn't mean he shouldn't. For one, it could be quite an entertainment for Adam and, maybe, it would do him some good to share his memories with someone, especially those involving the people who had fought in the war.

"The first time I met Snape, my potion teacher, it took me all of five minutes to realize he hated me. The class quickly became a torture, so to speak. Snape did everything he could to humiliate me, verbally. He called me names, insulted my dad, things like that. I learnt later on that it was because he hated my dad and, well, I look quite a lot like him."

Adam blinked; that was not what you could call a professional attitude for a teacher.

"Why wasn't he fired?"

Harry wasn't surprised that this would be Adam's first question. For quite some time, Harry hadn't understood that either. Of course, it had all become clear in the end but, even knowing Dumbledore's reason, Harry knew the man shouldn't have let Snape have such leeway. As Headmaster of the school, his first priority should have been the well-being of his students.

"He was a spy," Harry still answered, knowing it was the reason. "He had become a spy when Voldemort decided to target my mom. I learnt that at the very end of the war, looking through Snape's memory. Snape had been on our side all along, no matter how much we didn't trust him, because he had loved my mom since they were kids. I know it doesn't excuse his behavior but it explains it. I mean, he wasn't a nice person or even a fair person, but he was a good person."

Harry sighed, knowing his explanation was confused but determined to finish it.

"I was with him when he died. He was bleeding out from his neck and the last thing he wanted was to see my eyes. He wanted to see my mother's eyes. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that image, you know: him, bleeding out, asking me to look at him with his last breath."

It was the very first time he had ever told anyone about that. Ron and Hermione had been with him at the time, so they knew, but he had never taken the time to think about it and put it into words to explain it to someone else. He hadn't known how to explain this moment or what he was feeling towards his once most hated teacher. Now he had done it, just so he could explain it to Adam.

Harry found it strange how deep a conversation could become when, in the beginning, he had just wanted to remark that the smell floating in the air reminded him of old times.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (4/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Adam comes home after being tortured his wounds are not only physical  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **016. Purple.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**016. Purple.**

Harry had been expecting it. Since he had received Adam's phone call, a few hours earlier, telling him all about the hostage situation he had gotten caught in, Harry had known his friend would come home in a right state. Adam had called him because he hadn't wanted Harry to panic should anything about this filter on the news and the wizard could admit he was grateful for the head up. When he had received the news, he had barely been able to contain a sigh; he knew what torture looked like and he had never wanted Adam to learn about it too but, apparently, his wish hadn't mattered at all.

Even knowing Adam would be in a hell of a state hadn't prepared Harry for the sight that greeted him; Adam, purple with bruises, walked carefully into the apartment. Harry was hurting only by looking at him but, watching him more closely, Harry knew there was something else wrong with Adam, beyond his physical state. One single look at him and Harry knew something bothered him. The question was, what was it?

"Damn, they got you good!" Harry whistled because that had to be the understatement of the century. "Come on, sit down before you fall over."

Adam obeyed mechanically, not wanting to argue. He took a seat beside Harry, grimacing as his back made contact with the sofa, and stayed mute. He didn't feel like talking; he had talked more than enough for today.

"Tell me what's wrong," Harry asked gently. "Except from the obvious," he added as an afterthought, signaling the copious amount of injuries covering Adam's body.

Harry already knew something was wrong and the way Adam looked down at his laps when he asked just confirmed it. Harry really had to know what was going on in his friend's mind.

"Come on, Adam. You know you can tell me everything."

Harry meant it. There was nothing Adam could tell him that would make him judge him; he knew all too well how it felt like being critiqued for the things you did, or didn't do, and he didn't want to make Adam feel like that. He hated when it happened to him and he wasn't going to stand for anyone he cared about being in this position.

"I talked, Harry. I talked. They were torturing us, Danny and I, and Danny wasn't telling them anything but I just couldn't take it anymore. I said things I shouldn't have, things they wanted me to say and I know I should have kept my mouth shut but I couldn't stand it and they could have killed someone and it would have been my fault."

Harry closed his eyes. He did understand what Adam was feeling right now but he also knew he was wrong, nothing was his fault. Of course, it didn't help to know something like that intellectually when you were in this position, but Harry still had to make his friend understand.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Adam."

"But…"

"Anyone would have talked."

"Danny didn't."

"Not yet," Harry cut. "But he would have. In the end, he would have talked Adam. Everyone talk under torture because everyone has a breaking point. It may take more or less time to reach it but, at one point or another, it will happen. Trust me, if someone tells you they would never break under torture, then they're lying. It's impossible."

Adam looked at him with something akin to hope in his eyes. Harry could see he really wanted to believe, to know it wasn't just him being a wimp but that it was a normal human reaction.

"Really?"

Harry smiled reassuringly. He wasn't lying just to give some comfort to Adam. No matter how much he sometimes wanted to, he knew lying was never the solution. Sometimes it may seem like a good idea, a little white lie to avoid hurting someone, but he knew more than anyone that people needed to know the truth, no matter how much it hurt, because in the end, a lie could backfire and hurt the person you were trying to protect even more.

"Yes, really. Eventually, Danny would have broken too. I won't lie to you, it would probably have taken longer than with you but that's because Danny is a cop. He has chosen a profession where he knew he could get in trouble, get injured, get attacked; he does have training, maybe not this exact scenario, but more than you. In the end, though, he would have told them exactly what they wanted to know and something told me they would have gone on torturing whoever they had in their grasp until they had the answer they were looking for."

Adam closed his eyes but his face seemed to lose some of its tension; it was as if he had been granted forgiveness for a sin he had committed. He hadn't but, in his eyes, it had been a sin and Harry had just given him absolution.

"Would you have?"

Harry frowned when he heard the question. Would he have what? Broken under torture? Yes, after a while, but not if he had been in Adam's place because their attackers hadn't been wizard and he could have gotten away.

"In this exact same situation, with these people, I would have gotten away, no problem. I'm a wizard, there was nothing they could have done to detain me. You can't make a comparison like this. Now, if I was captured by wizards who wanted information, I would have talked after a while, if they even needed that. I'm not good at closing my mind, they could have broken through my mental barrier if they had the abilities, or they could have given me veritaserum. All in all, if a wizard wanted information from me and had the time to torture me as much as he wanted to, yes I would have talked in the end."

Adam seemed to evaluate his answer. For someone who could talk ten miles a minute about a myriad of things that had nothing to do with the subject at hand, he could actually think quite a bit before saying something in some situations.

"Even you would have talked," he repeated.

Harry nodded.

"Even I would have talked," he confirmed.

And Adam finally accepted this as the complete truth. There was nothing he could have done to avoid it. He had been absolutely unable to get away and, apparently, they had all the time in the world to make him and Danny tell them all the information they wanted. The torture would have gone on and on until one of them broke. At least, with him talking, they had stopped hurting both him and Danny. Danny would have been able to take more before talking but in what state would he have been once they were finished with him? And for the same result in the end. He could see what Harry meant when he said that everyone ended up talking so he decided to try and not feel too bad about it. He was certain in would take a while but he would succeed in the end.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (5/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), cameo by Mac  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Maybe Adam should have remembered that Harry had a mischievous streak.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **015. Orange.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**015. Orange.**

Today had to be the strangest day Adam had ever spent and he had known some weird days before that. He had no idea why but from the moment he had left the apartment, people had been odd and he was absolutely certain it had something to do with him.

Had someone told a story about him? He wasn't sure what kind of story it would have been, especially since he couldn't think of anything he had done recently that would make good gossip material, anything funny or weirder than usual by his standard. Besides, he would have known if it had been gossip; they usually always reached him, when he wasn't the one propagating it.

Today, though, he had no idea why.

It had begun since before he even got to work – yet another reason he didn't believe it to be gossip, or maybe he had just imagined the whole thing at this point and, thinking back on it after the rest of the day made it worse than it really was? Who knew – people had been looking at him strangely. Now, had it been one or two people here and there, he would have thought he was imagining things. Sometimes, working with cops on a regular basis, you became kind of paranoiac; risk of the job, apparently. You knew what kind of wacko inhabited the streets and you couldn't be as naïve about the truth as most people and it made you think that anyone looking crossly at you wanted to gut you.

Seeing how many people did today, though, he didn't think it was his overactive imagination. There must have been something that made them point at him, but he had no idea what. The worst was that it hadn't stopped once he had reached his office. And no one, absolutely no one, had let on the reason why. It was driving him mad.

Still, as he saw people pointing and laughing, he knew he had to ask someone. He decided on Lindsay, asking her if there was something on him making him everyone's laughing stock. He usually appreciated a joke, even when it was at his expense, but it was getting annoying. Still, she answered by the negative; he had no paper sign on his back, twigs caught in his hair or even something between his teeth. Had it been anyone else, he may have doubted their words but Lindsay wouldn't lie to him like that so he decided, even when early morning's event made it doubtful, that it must have been a rumor circulating in the lab.

At the beginning, it had been slightly difficult to concentrate on his work but then an very important case came in, one on which Mac needed him, and he got so involved in his work, not wanting to disappoint his boss, that he forgot about everything else. It had not been a very long case, but his part had been important and he had worked for a long time, no chuckling or whispering distracting him, preventing him from finding the solution.

Once people saw him working, they usually didn't interrupt. Even if there was a rumor about him, they were all professional enough not to let it interfere with their work. They knew what they did was too important to have stupid things like gossip making it even more difficult and risking to compromise the solidity of their results. Nothing was more embarrassing or annoying to have a criminal be released because of a vice of procedure during the testing on the evidences and their subsequent testimony when asked to give it in a tribunal.

He had almost forgotten all about it by the time he had finished working but one of the janitor, who hadn't been working when he had begun his shift, saw him and smiled brightly at him. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were amused and, just like this, it all came back on his mind.

"Problem, Adam?"

He startled when he heard Mac's voice coming from right behind him. How did his boss always manage to do that? Half the time, Adam didn't hear him coming, which usually resulted in very awkward situation for him, especially was he wasn't very comfortable with Mac. Nothing against him, he was a great boss, but he was almost a legend and always asked the best from people working with him and Adam was persuaded he always came short.

"No, I mean yes."

He hesitated for a second, before his nature took over and he began to babble.

"People have been looking at me strangely all day long. I mean, at the beginning I thought I was just imagining things but it went on and on and I don't know why. It think there may be a rumor about me running around but I don't know what it is and I'm babbling?" he ended with a cringing look, not believe he had just said all this to Mac of all people.

Mac gave him his indulgent smile, the one that said that he didn't really know what Adam was talking about and didn't really care either because it didn't matter to the investigation but he would still listen because maybe, just maybe, there would be a point to all the chatter in the end that would turn into something useful.

"I haven't heard any rumor about you, Adam," Mac said after a reflective pause during which Adam wondered how to make a hasty exit without attracting attention to himself. "But I think some people may be taken aback by your new bright orange hairstyle ."

Mac said it so matter-of-factly that Adam didn't register anything wrong with the sentence at first. Then it clicked. A bright orange haircut?

"What!" he exclaimed, his jaw hanging, and he just fled, barely managing a 'see you later' addressed to Mac – he would panic about having left his boss in the middle of a conversation later – towards the nearest bathroom to look into a mirror.

Bright. Orange. Mac was right, it was a bright neon orange color and there was only one person who could explain to him how that color had landed in his hair when he had definitively not decided to try on a new dye.

He took his phone out, composed a number and waited for his correspondent to take the call.

"Harry, I'm going to kill you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (6/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **It had been a year to the day.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **062. Spring.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**062. Spring**.

Harry had never liked spring. Well, no, that wasn't the truth. There was a time, a long while ago, when he had been a little kid, before knowing about magic, where the spring had been his favorite season, even if it was more of an elimination process. He knew his parents had died on Halloween, which made it hard to like the autumn, the winter had been dangerous for him because of the occasional night he had to spend outside and because of the Dursley not really caring about his cupboard being freezing, and during the summer, he had no school to escape his relative.

Then he had begun Hogwarts and things had changed, because of Voldemort always attacking in the spring. He didn't know why but all the major happening had been during the spring: the Stone, the Chamber, the dementor's attack – and alright, this one hadn't been Voldemort but it still didn't help breaking the streak – the third task of the Tournament, the trap at the Department of Mystery, the attack on the death eaters resulting in Dumbledore's death and even the final battle. All of these had been during spring and most of them had either ended in tragedy or very nearly.

He usually didn't think about it but it was spring right now, the beginning of May to be exact, and there was one thing he had promised himself he would do. He had taken the decision last year of beginning a tradition on the day of the anniversary of the final battle.

Harry arranged a small table in his bedroom and decorated in with a few candles of all sizes. He then went to his closet and took a box off the shelf. Opening it, he took out the pictures that filled it and watched all the faces with nostalgia. He had decided, before leaving England, to find photographs of all the people who had died in the war. He had kept them because he had wanted to remember them, he hadn't wanted to forget all of those who had died in hero during these dangerous times. And now, he was going to honor their memory another way, by spreading the pictures on the table, a shrine dedicated to those who had sacrificed their life. It was simple but it meant the world to him, especially since he knew the wizarding world was going to forget all about these unsung heroes. They wanted a figure to hail and count on in the future – and they had chosen him – but they didn't really care about all the other people who had lost their life in the fight, trying to stop Voldemort and Harry was disgusted by this.

He was still exposing the pictures, careful not to burn them with the candles, when Adam came in. The young man had no idea of what today was. Why would he? Harry had never talked about the last battle; Adam knew about him witnessing his former teacher's death, but nothing else; there was no way for him to know it had been a year exactly today. So when he found Harry in his room, he was a bit surprised.

"What are you doing? Who are all those people?" He asked, always curious.

He had seen a few pictures of Harry's friends and parents, in frames, around the apartment. However, there were a lot of people smiling at him from these photographs he had never seen before. He knew Harry must have had some other pictures but he had never actually dared asking to see them and Harry hadn't considered showing him either.

"What are you doing? Who are all those people?" he eked, curious.

Harry turned to him and Adam was blown away by the sadness in his features. Of course, he knew Harry had lived a hard life up to now but it was very easy to forget sometimes. Harry liked to make people comfortable when he talked to them, Adam more than anyone else, so he tried not to show to many of his wounds but, in this moment, Adam had no problem seeing the young man who had been through way too much already.

"They are all the people who died fighting Voldemort," Harry said, once again grateful he could discuss magic without repercussions with Adam.

If not, he would have had to find a story to tell and he would have hated it; they deserved to be known as the heroes they were and not the victims of some kind of accidents. At least, Adam would know them for all the good they did.

"It has been a year today that the last battle happened. Not all of them died that day but quite a lot of them did so I thought it would be the right time to commemorate their memory. People who chose to fight evil because they wanted their world to be free, people who died for their belief, for doing the right thing."

He was getting emotional, he realized that, but he couldn't help it. How many of these people who had lost their life had been close to him? How many had died because they had chosen to follow him? He knew he wasn't responsible, knew they had made their choice, but would Colin have even been there that day if he had never been part of the DA?

"There are a lot of people," Adam whispered, his normally cheerful attitude gone, partly because of the tragedy, partly out of respect for the fallen and Harry who was mourning. "Did you know all of them?"

Harry shook his head.

"No, not all of them. Some died before I was born or when I was just a baby. Most of them, though, were friends, or at least classmate. Do you want me to tell you about them? What they did, how they died?"

Adam really wanted to say yes. His innate curiosity was screaming at him to just answer yes at once, but he couldn't help thinking about Harry and how hard it had to be for him and, for once, he was able to show restraint.

"You don't have to. I know I'm curious and, to tell the truth, I'm dying to know…. Sorry, maybe not the right word to use right now. I didn't mean. I mean, what I want to say is, you don't have to if it's too hard for you."

Harry nodded and smiled. It was a sad, but genuine, smile because Adam was someone who could always make him smile. It was in his nature and Harry did love him for that, the same way he loved Ron for always saying the wrong things when in the same room than Hermione or Hermione for her running to the library at the strangest time. He loved them for their quirks that were so _them_ it always made him smile.

"I know I don't have to. But I want you to know about them and they deserve to be remembered for all the good they did for the world."

So Harry spent hours talking, talking as he never had before, telling Adam everything he could remember about these smiling faces that had left this Earth way too soon. It was hard, sometimes more than others, going back to visit a past he wished he could forget at time, but knowing that, even given the opportunity, he would never take it because it wouldn't be fair to those who had given their lives. And Adam listened and, force once, didn't interrupt, didn't answer or babble, just listened and, in the end, he asked if he could put a picture of his own.

And when he did, Harry recognize the picture of a young woman called Aiden Burn who had also died way too soon, fighting against the evil of the world.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (7/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Harry hated Adam's music but he loved the effect it had on Adam.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **037. Sound.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**037. Sound.**

Harry had no illusion about being a typically nineteen year old out there. The way he had grown up, the things he had seen and done, the fact that he spent most of his teen years in the magical world, all of this made him a thousand miles away from your typical nineteen year old male. He knew it and it usually didn't bother him at all. He didn't even really notice it anymore.

Still, sometimes, at random, he would see something happening that seemed to come so naturally to those doing it, or hear about an event that sounded so obviously normal to those who were talking and yet, to him, it would appear so completely alien that he couldn't help seeing the differences between the other young people and him.

Listening to Adam's music was a damn good example of this.

The kind of music Adam listened to – and to be fair, Harry wasn't sure he would even have called that music at all – sounded like noises to him, very annoying noises at that. He may have been a bit old school on this matter, but he tended to like for his music not to drown completely the lyrics and for the lyrics to mean something and not be screeching at the audience. He liked them sung with the heart; he didn't mean love songs especially, but tunes that obviously meant something to those who were singing.

Adam's music, on the other hand, was something that was very in vogue with the young crowd today. Harry knew that and he was aware he was the strange one out there for not liking it but there was just nothing to appreciate for him in that kind of music. He just hated it. He couldn't have explained the real reason why, he just knew he did and it wouldn't change at all.

That was why he couldn't help grimacing when he entered the apartment that evening and heard the drumming beat of music coming from the living room. Usually, Adam tended to listen to that kind of album in his room and not the common part of the flat. It wasn't that Harry had told him to, he hadn't, but Harry guessed that Adam may have realized he didn't really like it and chose not to subject him to this when he could listen perfectly well in his own room.

With the sound as loud as it was, Harry wasn't surprised to see Adam hadn't heard him come in. Harry had difficulty to even hear himself think, he thought that a flock of death eaters could have crashed in and he wouldn't have been any the wiser. Good thing he wasn't a thief, otherwise everything would have been gone from the apartment before Adam even realized someone had been there.

He went to the living room to see what Adam was doing exactly and had to hold back a chuckle. Well, that wasn't a very common sight. Adam was dancing around to the rhythm of music, though Harry wasn't sure he could call that dancing. He was mostly moving around, more or less in synch with the beat, and using a spatula as a micro, mimicking a singer as his lips moved along the words.

Harry should have made his presence known but he decided not to, staying silent and observing his friend's little show without interrupting. He knew that, at one point or another, Adam would realize he wasn't alone anymore. Of course, by this point, he would probably be mortified at having been caught like this. Still, Harry was enjoying this way too much, enough to ignore that the screeching sound was destroying his eardrum at any rate.

And if there was only one redeeming quality that Harry could find in Adam's music, it was the way it could get the other man to loose himself in it.

Adam was haunted by something, something in his past. He did hide it fairly well, buried underneath the jokester façade and the downpour of words that always fell from his mouth but Harry, with the live he had lived, had always been able to see through it. He just didn't know what was there and probably wouldn't ever unless Adam decided to tell him because he knew you just didn't ask that kind of things, you let the other decide the moment he felt ready to talk. Losing himself in the music, though, Adam lost that haunted look and became more carefree. Sometimes Harry wished he still had the possibility to fly as much as before because flying had always been his own way to feel this carefree for a few moments.

It took until the very last note of the song for Adam to turn around, as if giving his imaginary audience a view of his back. It was only then that he saw that Harry had come in at some point during his impromptu performance. As Harry had guessed, he was embarrassed and you could almost see the red in his cheek.

"Harry! I hadn't heard you come in. I didn't think you would come back so soon. I'm sorry about the music, I know you don't like it. If I had known you were coming home, I would have stopped it. Please don't tell anyone about that, I don't think they would ever let it go."

Harry chuckled out loud this time around. Adam may have been more and more at ease with him, that didn't mean the nervous babble would stop anything soon.

"It's fine Adam. I had noticed you hadn't heard me coming. You were quite a bit into your performance," Harry joked and Adam ducked his head. "But seriously, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's your apartment to. You have a right to listen to your music, even if I'm here. But do me a favor and don't do it twenty-four/seven."

Adam shrugged.

"I know you don't like that kind of music," he said as an explanation and Harry knew he had been right earlier about Adam always going to his room with his earphone.

"No, I don't really like it. But it's you, it's very much you and that mean that I will learn to appreciate it in time, because I like the effect it has on you. I don't think you realize how different a person you are when you're lost in your own world. And I would like to get to know this Adam too, on top of the one I already know and like."

Harry wasn't sure his explanation made a lot of sense; to him, it seemed pretty confuse. However, the way Adam's face lit up when he said it? He probably understood completely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (8/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **They should form a club for people with fucked up childhood.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **049. Club.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**049. Club.**

Harry had always realized there was something in his past that still haunted Adam. He had been patient about it, though, he hadn't wanted to press Adam into revealing anything he was ready to talk about to him. He knew the time would come when Adam may choose to confide in him and, apparently, his patient was going to be rewarded because that night, as they were trying to find a movie to watch together and relax after a long day, Adam awkwardly told Harry there was something he wanted to talk to him about.

Harry stopped rummaging through the piles of DVD lined up on the shelves and turned to look very carefully at him. One glance and he could see that his friend was dead serious, if appearing a little bit hesitant. Harry knew immediately that it was going to be a difficult conversation, at least on Adam's part. Harry himself wasn't sure whether he was going to like what he would hear but he decided to keep an open mind.

"Okay."

"I know you saw the scars," Adam began and Harry's mind went automatically back to the time Adam was referring to.

Harry had bust into the bathroom, he quite frankly didn't remember the reason why. It must not have been very important, at least not as important as what he saw there. Adam had still been half naked at the time, he had just gotten out of the shower. His back had been turned towards Harry and it had taken him a second to react and turn around so his back would be hidden. It had already been too late though. Harry had good observation skills; it was what had kept him alive until then. He had been, therefore, unable to miss the scars that adorned his friend's back. He hadn't commented on it, though, and had acted as if he hadn't seen them.

From then on, the question of Adam's haunted soul had been partially answered. Someone had hurt him, in his past. Harry could take a guess and say it had been his father, but he preferred not to make an assumption like this; it would be pretty embarrassing for everyone if he was wrong. He had tried not to think too much about it; it was better this way and he would wait until Adam was ready to let him know.

"I suppose you wonder where they come from. I know I would. I know I do. I mean you explained some of the one you have to me but there are others I don't know about and I'm not telling you to tell me and I wouldn't want you to feel like you have to tell be just because I'm telling you about mine. I mean, I'm telling you because I want to knot because I want to know about you…"

"Adam!" Harry cut him; he usually let Adam babble all he wanted to but the other man seemed to get really too worked up this time around. "I know you're not trying to get me to talk. I'm sure you will end up knowing about all my scars one day, anyway, but for now, why don't you tell me what you wanted to before?"

Adam smiled sheepishly. Okay, he really needed to stop babbling when he was trying to say something important. He knew it sometimes annoyed people at work and, while Harry tended to be more lenient towards him, he was certain he was getting tired of it too even if he didn't want to tell him.

"I never talk about my family and there's a very good reason I guess. I just don't know how to talk about them without lying. I got so used to lie all the time when I was a kid, you know, pretending nothing is wrong, that there's no problem at home, that I'm very clumsy. Everyone always believed me. They didn't know my father was violent. He was very good at pretending to be a nice guy when we were in public."

"He was abusive," Harry summarized because Adam was getting lost in his explanation and sending him a pleading look, begging him to help him out.

Adam nodded.

"He was abusive."

Adam had stated this for the very first time ever. He had never told anyone about the abuse and he would never have thought about saying it so very succinctly. It was strange, it was a load he had had to bear for so many years he didn't even really realize it anymore but, telling Harry, it made him seem lighter, as if something had been lifted off him. Of course, the scars would always be there, and not only those you could see on his body, but it would probably be better in the long run. Maybe he should have told someone years ago but he had never thought he would find someone who understood, not the way Harry did.

There was a blank in the conversation but, strangely, the silence didn't feel uncomfortable at all, not even after Adam's revelation. One would have thought it would have made the atmosphere quite a bit tenser but no. Then, Harry snorted.

"We really should form a club for people with fucked up childhood," he stated.

Adam chuckled. Yes, that was a given but then, he frowned because he had thought for a second that Harry was talking about his past with Voldemort but he had never called that his childhood. His adolescence, yes, but never his childhood.

"You mean…"

He didn't know how to continue but Harry understood what Adam was asking. Seeing the way the conversation had gone up to now, it wasn't a very hard guess to make. Harry knew exactly what he had revealed and, even if it had slipped out, he wasn't mad at himself for it.

"Yeah. Not the same extend than you, though. The physical stuff was mostly my cousin and his friends, even if my uncle tended to encourage it rather than stop it. It was mostly neglect, verbal abuse, but no beating. And at least, I had the consolation that they weren't my parent, you know. I mean, they never wanted to take me in and didn't make it a secret but I could always imagine that my parents would have wanted me so it made things a bit easier…. Then I discovered the magical world and everything changed."

Harry had told him more than he ever needed to know and Adam was glad for it. He didn't like that his friend had to go through the same things as him and was kind of happy he didn't have an experience as bad as him when it came to family stuff. Harry had had enough other problems as it was.

"Maybe we should really form that club after all," Adam agreed with a smile so very out of place for the conversation they were having; it did show how messed up they really were that they could smile when discussing the subject. "We could ask Danny to join."

Harry raised one eyebrow, but he had been told about Danny being part of a gang when he was younger and what had happened with his brother. It was different than for them but Harry knew the other scientist must also have sequel from that time. Yes, they really should think about forming that club.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (9/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Flack/Jess  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **All Harry wanted was breakfast. That was without counting on his luck  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **050. Food.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**059. Food.**

Seriously, thinking back about it, Harry knew he should have realized that, just because Voldemort was dead and buried this time around, it wouldn't mean that his luck had changed all that much. Getting into troubles without going looking for them must have been in his genes.

However, he had been lulled into a false sense of security. After all, in the whole year that had just passed by, he had actually managed to stay out of dangerous situation. It must have been a record. Nothing bad had happened to him: no accident, no witnessing something he shouldn't have seen, no eavesdropping on a conversation he shouldn't have heard, no finding himself playing the hero. No, everything had been calm. Almost too calm actually, now that he thought about it. He had chalked it up to his own personal nemesis being dead and finally living without a madman out for his blood. He should have realized it just meant something big was going to happen later on.

He had just wanted some food, for Merlin's sake. He had left in a hurry this morning, he couldn't even remember why right now, and he hadn't eaten before leaving. Now, Harry didn't always think with his stomach, like Ron; between the near-starvation period at the Dursley and his year on the run, he had known hunger. Still, why would he decide to starve himself when he could just eat something? So he had stopped in a restaurant.

He had thought he would order something, get his food and then be on his way, no question asked, just a quick stop. Of course, that was without counting on his dreadful luck, which had decided to make its come-back at that time.

One second, he was already salivating in anticipation of his breakfast, next all hell broke loose. There was a car taking out the window bay and then shooting and Harry's instinct kicked in. It may have been more than a year since the end of the war, but there was some reflex that stayed with you, no matter what. Apparently, staying alive and keeping innocents safe was one of them.

It took him all of a second to realize it was a kidnapping attempt and one concerning a guy Adam had told him all about, at that. Now, normally, he would have tried to prevent it but there was something more urgent and that was the shooter who was taking aim at the cop trying to protect the person being kidnapped.

Stopping a kidnapping where the person may still have hours to live or saving the person who was going to get shot in the next few seconds? It wasn't even a choice he had to consciously make. His body reacted on autopilot and he got the policewoman out of the way as the bullets flew right past them. He felt his body slam onto the floor and shreds of wood, coming from the counter, flew everywhere above them.

It was complete chaos for a while longer before back up finally turned up. Harry was distantly aware of people talking around him, saying that Dunbrook – the man who was being protected he supposed – had actually been kidnapped; he swore to himself, thinking he should have been able to prevent it but using his magic had been out of question and, anyway, he had reacted the muggle way without even thinking about it, consequence of not having used his magic much in the last year. Moody would be so disappointed in him right now.

He tried to get up once he had rolled of the woman he had pinned on the floor, but as he did so, he felt a searing pain in his side and he just fell back on the floor. What the hell was that? He looked down at himself and realized there was blood all over his shirt. Well, damn, he had actually been shot. Fuck.

"Hey, are you with me?"

He turned to the voice and found himself face to face with the police officer he had taken a bullet for. He dimly observed she was quite beautiful, but her face was marred with worry. Yes, he supposed that a cop wouldn't react very well to a civilian getting shot in the process of saving them. Understandable.

"Yes, I'm fine."

It was his default phrase and his friends had always hated it. Apparently, it was a sentence that didn't work with law enforcement either, because the woman made a face and he heard a snort coming from his left. He turned and face what had to be the woman's partner and, looking at the way his eyes kept on coming back to her to check if she was really okay, in more senses that one.

"You've been shot, man, you're so not fine," he said sarcastically and the woman sent him a glare.

"Shut it, Flack. I'm Jessica, this is Don," she continued, completely missing Harry's look of recognition as she went on, telling him that an ambulance was on his way; Harry completely tuned out the rest of the sentence as he wasn't thinking all that clearly, probably due to the blood loss.

"You're Adam's friends," he blurted, cutting her out.

Both her and Flack startled at that. Apparently, that wasn't what they were expecting. It's a small world after all and if he was beginning to quote Disney songs, annoying Disney songs at that, it meant that he really wasn't feeling well.

"You know Adam?" Jess asked as she came out of her daze.

Harry's world was beginning to blur around him. It was really annoying being hurt and not be able to do anything about it. Plus, he knew there was no way he would escape being taken to the hospital. He could already feel that he was going to lose consciousness soon and there was no way the paramedics were going to let him go without a hospital stay. Damn, he and his stupid saving people things; well, he wasn't sorry he had saved Jess, even less now that he knew she was his friend's friend, but still.

"Friends. Roommates," he added in a small whisper as he finally lost the fight and his mind slipped into nothingness.

Flack and Jess looked at each other with the same expression, one that meant they really didn't like the situation they were in.

"We're going to have to tell Adam," Jess said because he had a right to know immediately, especially if they were close friends.

Flack nodded. Yes, they needed to do it and that was a phone call he really didn't want to make. But the kid would probably want his friends with him when he woke up and Flack couldn't forget the fact that he had saved Jess. She could have been the one with a bullet hole in her body right now, more than one actually. He would have to thank the kid.

"I didn't even get to ask his name," Jess whispered as she looked onto the paramedics, given her savior first aid.

Flack nodded.

"We will know soon enough," he said. "Go with them, Jess, stay with the kid. Someone will have to take his statement anyway. I will call Adam. And Jess," he added as she was beginning to make her way to the ambulance.

She turned, ready to ask what it was, and her lips were capture by his.

"I love you," he said, aware that he could have lost her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (10/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Flack, Jess  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Adam has never been so afraid than when hearing Flack telling him what happened.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **084. Dry.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**084. Dry.**

When Adam received Flack's phone call that morning, his first thought was that they had a case. It didn't even register to him as weird that the detective was the one calling him, instead of Mac, who usually did, or another person from the lab. He answered as cheerfully as normal, even when it was way too early and that such a phone call could only mean someone dying a not so normal death.

The Flack's words reached his ears and his mouth went try and, for a minute, he actually forgot to breath. Because he couldn't have heard that right, there was no way he had heard the man right. Harry couldn't have been shot.

Except that, apparently, he had. Harry had been in the same restaurant as Jess and had saved her life, taking a shot instead of her. He had been conscious long enough to tell them he was a friend of Adam's and now there he was, calling him. Adam stammered a few things, telling Flack his friend's name was Harry Potter, and managing to ask where the ambulance would be taking him.

He didn't even think about call in to work to tell them he wasn't coming this morning. He had to get to Harry as soon as possible. His friend was in a hospital bed and he really had no time to lose. For now, his job didn't matter. He quite frankly had no idea how he actually managed to get to the hospital without having an accident on the way because he had absolutely no recollection of even making the journey there. He couldn't have told you what kind of weather they were having because he couldn't recall a single thing except having spent the whole time worrying that he would reach the hospital and be told that Harry had died.

He needn't have worried. He reached the hospital and ran to the reception, asking where his friend was. He was directed to a room and, as soon as he approached, he heard Harry's voice resonate. He hadn't seen him yet, but he didn't need to enter the room to recognize his accent, which was quite rare in New York. Harry was arguing with a more than exasperated doctor.

"I'm fine!" Harry was saying, as if he had said the same thing a million time already and Adam felt relief seep through his body, even though he knew that Harry had to be somehow lying; still, if he was in any state to lie, it meant he was going to be okay in the end. "Look I passed out, it happens. You stitched me up, I didn't even need surgery or blood transfusion. I just need to take it easy for a while and I promise I will. Just let me go home."

That was the moment Adam chose to enter the room. He saw Harry, actually sitting up, on his bed, the doctor looking ready to tear his hair out, and Jess, standing beside the bed, appearing to be holding back a laugh and, at the same time, wanting to tie Harry up to the bed so he would stay down. Apparently, she was worried too, but Adam knew Harry and knew it was a battle they had already lost.

"Adam!" Harry exclaimed and Adam had apparently been so lost in his observation that he hadn't realized Harry had taken notice of his presence; both Jess and the Doctor turned to him, both probably wanting to ask him to talk some sense into his friend. "Tell them I don't need to stay there."

Harry was looking at him pleadingly; Adam could only understand why. He knew that Harry hated hospital, as most people did actually. Besides, with his magic, Harry would probably be able to heal himself way much quicker if he were back home and had access to his potions, without being under surveillance. It would, after all, be difficult to explain a miraculous recovery.

Adam wanted to talk. He really did. He wanted to tell the doctor he would make sure Harry didn't overexert himself and got a lot of rest and all the right words that would make it possible for his friend to be allowed to leave but his mouth refused to cooperate.

He tried to open it a few time but no words could get out. The fear that had fallen since he had seen that Harry was fine had come back full force suddenly. He wasn't sure why; now that he was certain everything was alright, it should have been better but his mouth was abruptly even dried than when he heard Flack tell him about what had happened and he began to feel as if the room was spinning.

Harry noticed his reaction immediately and cursed under his breath. He knew he was still covered in his own blood, his clothes probably forever stained unless he decided to use magic to make the laundry, and maybe, consciously, Adam hadn't noticed but, unconsciously, he had and it was freaking him out. He needed to sit down right now, before they had a second person in a hospital bed.

"Sit down, Adam. Doc, Jess," he said, using Jessica's nickname, as she had asked him too. "Can I talk to Adam for a second?"

He had stopped yelling because he knew it wasn't going to help his friend. He didn't know whether the doctor had noticed Adam wasn't alright or if he just thought Harry may be getting more sensible about his health, but he let himself out of the room and Jess just nodded, understanding shining in her eyes.

Adam sat on the bed and looked at Harry. His eyes were dry but bloodshot and Harry knew he had given him the scare of his life. He hated being the one to cause that look.

"I'm going to be alright, Adam," he said, without lying because it was the truth Adam needed right now.

And no matter how improbable it was, it was the truth; he would be alright. He had always healed very fast so, while the wound was still there, he wasn't superman after all, the pain had lessened quite a lot as it was a muggle wound.

"I'm sorry if I worried you but you know I'll be fine. They can never know about it but you, you know the moment I'm home, I'll be able to heal everything."

He wanted to comfort Adam, to tell him everything was alright but he knew, with Adam in such a state, it was better to act and talk as if there was nothing wrong, matter-of-factly, and it seemed to do the trick because Adam finally found his voice again, rasping slightly as if his throat was too dry to talk normally.

"I was so scared when I heard Flack tell me about you being shot and then I just had to come here and I thought you may already be dead when I arrived and you're the only one of my friend who was never supposed to get shot because it's not your job and it's not fair you had to be shot but you saved Jess and that's so cool and I was so relieved to know you're alright and yes, I know you can heal yourself better than the medics so yes, you should come home but I've been so afraid."

Harry stopped the flow of words by putting his hand around Adam's wrist and he tugged because he knew what Adam needed right now and next thing he knew, he had Adam in his arm and he was sniffing but his eyes were dry as before. Harry looked over his head as he closed his arm around his friend and saw Jess looking on and her eyes, on the other hand, were wet.


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (11/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Flack/Jess  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Flack and Jess invite Adam and Harry on a double-date. Well, at least Harry understood it was supposed to be a double-date.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **057. Lunch.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**057. Lunch.**

About two weeks had passed from that fateful morning in the restaurant, when Adam arrived in the apartment, after a workday, wearing the biggest smile on his face. Now, Harry had been aware all along that Adam was an intrinsically cheerful person but this was a bit much, even for him. Something must have happened to make him so happy and Harry was more than curious about it. Of course, knowing Adam and his propensity to talk about nothing and everything, it would only be a matter of minutes, if that.

"Hey, Harry! Are you doing anything tomorrow at lunch?" Adam asked him excitedly.

Harry blinked for a second. That wasn't exactly the question he had been expecting and he was quite taken aback. He shook his head, regaining his bearing, and actually answered.

"No, why?"

"Flack and Jess invited us to have lunch with them. I guess they just want to know you, you know, after you saved her life. I told them I would ask you. So I can tell them okay, right? You will come?"

Harry had always had the intention to say yes but, quite frankly, even if he hadn't, the hopeful look on his friend's face would have been enough to make him change his mind. There was no way he could have said no to him.

"Sure, could be fun. They seemed nice enough."

Harry was just extremely grateful they had been pretty occupied for a while because, had they asked to see him before then, he would have been forced to pretend to still be hurt. After all, he would have been hard pressed to explain how it was that he had healed so quickly from a gunshot wound. At least, now, it would be normal for him to be mostly back to normal, as long as he pretended not to do too much effort, and so long they didn't ask to see the scar that didn't even exist anymore.

Adam practically let out a woo of glee at the thought and dove for his phone, apparently more than impatient to let his coworkers know they were on for lunch the day after. Harry smiled at his enthusiasm; he knew that Adam hardly saw the people he worked with outside of work. It wasn't that he didn't want to but they didn't seem to have much in common, especially with the two detectives, with Adam being kind of a geek, so he was glad for the occasion.

Well, it seemed that he actually had something to do the day after at lunch. He hadn't planned to but it would do him some good too to see other people. He wasn't the most sociable person either so his whole universe in New York practically revolved around Adam. Still, there was something about the invitation and how it had been worded that made Harry think that it may have been more than just a 'get-to-know-your-friend' lunch.

HP/CSINY/HP

Harry was the first to arrive at the restaurant, which didn't exactly come as a surprise to him. After all, contrary to the other three, he didn't have a job to make him late. Thankfully, he didn't have anything else to do either, so the fact they were not there at the previously arranged hour didn't bother him at all.

He got up once he saw them come in, to welcome them, and they all exchanged the usually courtesies. They sat down and Jess took the opportunity to thank Harry once again. Harry just waved it off; he didn't do it for recognition, but because it was the right thing to do. They discussed for a while, talking about nothing in particular, until it was time to order.

Then, Adam got up to use the bathroom and Harry, who had seen the way both Jess and Flack were looking at them decided to seize the occasion to do some damage control before their lunch date turned very awkward. Yet, before he had time to open his mouth, Jess asked him a question.

"So, how long have you and Adam known each other?"

"Almost a year," Harry answered, after a brief mental calculation. "You do realize Adam has no idea you think we're dating, right?"

Both Flack and Jess looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"I asked him to come with us on a double-date," Flack enunciated slowly, as if it was Harry that didn't understand.

Harry made a face, half a grimace, half an amused look.

"Yep, and I did get that when he told me about the invitation. But he just thinks you wanted to get to know me and invited him along because we're friend and it would be easier to talk that way. We're just friends."

Both of them looked quite a bit embarrassed, which was exactly what he had wanted to avoid when he had decided to talk to them without Adam being present. Then, out of the blue, Jess just began to laugh, which made both Harry and Flack turn to her for an explanation.

"God, I'm sorry guys. I thought… I don't know, he just looked so freaked out when I saw him in hospital and, when you hugged him, you both looked so comfortable. I guess I jumped to conclusions."

Harry shrugged.

"I don't really care. I mean, I never thought about Adam like this but there are worse thing that being thought in a relationship with your best friend. I just wanted to tell you before you said something that would make Adam uncomfortable."

Both Flack and Jess agreed not to say anything about the misunderstanding and Flack muttered under his breath that he would better call Danny to tell him not to tease Adam about it like he had planned to. Harry frowned at hearing that.

"It wasn't anything ill-intentioned," Flack was quick to defend his friend. "Danny thought it was nice for Adam to have someone in his life. He just felt a bit hurt not to have been told."

Harry nodded. Yes, hearing Adam talk about Danny, it had been easy to work out the slightly brotherly relationship between the two of them and he guessed he could understand being hurt at him having kept what he thought a relationship hidden for so long. As long as no one got hurt, the teasing was okay.

"So, what did I miss?" Adam asked as he got back from the bathroom and it was Flack who smiled slightly at him, shrugging.

"Nothing important."


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (12/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Mac  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Adam comes across the symbol of the Deathly Hallows during an investigation.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **042. Triangle.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**042. Triangle.**

After what had happened with Jess, the whole team knew about Adam having a roommate but, except from Jess and Flack, they had never met him and Adam hadn't thought it would change anytime soon. There was no reason for it. Until there was.

The murders had been extremely brutal, if not especially gruesome. Mac was treating the case as a priority because there was a good chance that it was the work of a serial killer. They did not alert the press or the media, of course, not wanting to create the usual panic that came with the knowledge of a serial killer on the loose in a city, especially when they couldn't be a hundred percent sure it was the case.

Adam had been working for a few days straight now and he hadn't been able to find anything remotely useful that could lead to a suspect. He had, of course, identified a few substances here and there, but none that would help and he was quite frankly beginning to despair. That killer was good, very good, and it seemed that he hadn't left anything behind him. The scene was unusually clean. He had no idea how until Sheldon brought to him the one thing that made his blood run cold.

Sheldon had come into his lab with a piece of paper, where he had drawn a symbol, telling him he couldn't find anything on it and was leaving it for Adam to try to identify it when he had the time. Adam hadn't looked up at the time, busy with his present analysis, but he had heard and had decided to do it later on. And when later on arrived, he took the piece of paper and promptly chocked on his saliva.

He had seen that symbol before, drawn on a book that Harry possessed. Harry had done the drawing himself and had told Adam it was a symbol associated with the story and it was very important to him. He hadn't explained more, but Adam had understood it must have had something to do with the war and he had not asked for a deeper explanation, though he was beginning to regret it now.

He practically ran out of the lab and went to Mac. His boss looked up from his report as Adam almost crashed into his office.

"Can I do something for you, Adam," he asked, his calmness a veritable contrast to Adam's nervousness.

"No, I mean yes. Here," he said, handing Sheldon's paper to Mac. "Hawkes gave me that so that I could find what the symbol is. Thing is, Mac, I've seen it before and, well, I'm not exactly sure what it means but I know someone who does and I think that, maybe, you should talk to him. He could explain it better than me if I was to try and find the information by myself."

Mostly, because there was no way he could find the information by himself in any database. It was magical and there would be nothing on his computer, not even on the internet, he just knew it.

"Can I do something for you, Adam," he asked calmly, in contrast to Adams nervousness.

"And where can I find that person," Mac asked, an eyebrow raised in question, and Adam was afraid he would think Harry was responsible because that would be just ridiculous.

"It's Harry Potter," he said and yes, that would mean more in the magical world. "My roommate. I can call him and tell him to come by, I'm sure he would do it immediately."

He wasn't kidding. If anyone was drawing that symbol on a crime scene, it meant that there could be magic involved and Harry would like to know, just to he could notify the right people to take care of it. Adam knew that, if there was a wizard killing people out there, his friends would be in danger if they tried to go after him by themselves. They wouldn't be ready for what they would have to face.

Adam tried not to flinch under Mac's insistent look and he mostly succeeded. His boss nodded and smiled slightly.

"Then call your friend, and tell him it's important to come as soon as possible. I want that case solved, the sooner the better."

Adam nodded and stammered that he was going to call Harry and tell him to come by. He knew Harry wouldn't make them wait, not when it was that important. Two minutes later and he was hanging up, after having explained the symbol's presence to Harry, getting the wizard's promise to come immediately.

It didn't take very long for Harry to show up. Adam suspected he had used magic to get there quicker since he had been nowhere near home when he had answered his call and he had had to get by the apartment to get the book he was holding. He hoped dearly that Mac wouldn't begin to question the timing and place, because that would get weird.

"Mister Potter," Mac called when he saw the new arrival standing with Adam and he offered his hand. "Mac Taylor. Thank you for coming promptly."

Harry nodded with a smile.

"Just Harry, please. Adam told me you needed information on a symbol."

Harry followed Mac into his office while Adam went back to work. He wasn't especially worried about being alone with the lieutenant, though. According to Adam, Mac was a very fair person and he wouldn't try to pin anything on him just because of his knowledge of something. He would follow the evidence, wherever they may lead, though Harry had to wonder what kind of evidence would a wizard leave being that could help a scientist.

"Yes," Mac answered and gave Harry he paper; he needn't have bothered. "Can you tell me anything about this."

Harry nodded and motioned to the book he was still holding. It was fairly new edition, but Harry wasn't all that interested in collection books, not like Hermione. He had just wanted a copy of the story, because of how it was entwined with his own.

"This is the Tales of Beedle the Bard," Harry said, handing to book to Mac. "It's mostly a children book, well, as much as the Grimm tales are, something like this, except less well-known I suppose. The symbol in this book, well I'm the one who added it because it's usually not written in it. Not everyone knows about it nowadays, but my mentor did know and… I saw it in his own copy and, since I knew it corresponded to the story, I added it when I bought the book. That's where Adam saw it. It's in the last story, the Tale of the Three Brothers. It's a representation of three objects called the Deathly Hallows."

Mac was looking at the book in his hands with interest, skimming through it but not seeing any story he had heard before. It was strange, they were really not well-known.

"And what are those Deathly Hallows?" he asked, intrigued by the term and how it could be linked to his case.

That was the moment where it would become complicated. The moment Harry was going to talk about it, Mac would dismiss the story as fiction, when it actually was real, or at least the objects were real. He just hoped he was going to take on the position that the suspect believed in the tale.

"Well, the story is about three brothers. They are walking together and their path leads them to a very dangerous river. Most people would die trying to go to the other side but the brothers are wizards so they make a bridge appear and, as they are crossing it, they meet Death. Death is angry because, normally, people fall victim to Him at this place but he pretends he's impressed and offer them a wish. Each asks for an object: one for an unbeatable wand, another for something to resurrect the dead and the third one for something that would prevent Death from following him."

Harry marked a pause in his story, letting Mac the time to digest what he had already said. He went on when Mac motioned for him to.

"The first one babbled about his wand being all powerful and he's murdered and robbed in his sleep. The second one bring back the woman he loved but she's not completely alive, just a shadow, and he ends up killing himself to join her. The third on, well, Death can't find him because of the cloak He had given him but he ends up removing the cloak and giving it to his son years later. He chooses to leave with Death, as if he was an old friend. Basically, that's the story but, really, you should read it. It would be better."

Mac nodded. He had listened with rapt attention, actually immensely interested in the tale. And yes, he would have to read this book very attentively.

"Would you mind if I kept the book until the end of the investigation."

Harry shook his head.

"No, keep it if it can help. Just… it is said that whoever possess the three Hallows at the same time becomes the Master of Death. I know they are people out there who have tried to reunite them, without success. Maybe someone is trying again."

Mac acquiesced, lost in thoughts, and he let Harry go. He had what he needed from him, there was no reason to keep him there, though he made Harry promise to answers further questions should he have some. Harry said that he would stay around anyway so, if he was needed, he would be there.


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (13/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only), Mac  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **While telling the story to Adam, Harry remembers what Victor said.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **044. Circle.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**044. Circle.**

It should have been the end of Harry's participation to the case and it would have been, had it not been for Adam asking for information about the Hallows as soon as he came home, inquiring how Harry had found out about them in the first place.

Harry hadn't yet told Adam everything about the war so he had no reason of knowing the story behind the Hallows. Seeing that he had already given half an explanation to Mac, Harry decided why not. He told the tale to Adam, telling him what exactly they were, how he had found them and actually became the Master of Death, even when he didn't want to, how he 'lost' two of the three because he didn't want to wield that power. It was a long story but Adam listened, fascinated, as he often was by Harry's world. Then he asked the question that changed everything.

"But how is it that you found the sign that first time. I mean, just because there was a symbol in a book didn't mean it meant something. I mean, there was no explanation to what it was no? How did you end up finding out it was the symbol of the Hallows?"

"We asked one of our friends' father. He had been wearing it at a wedding a few months earlier. I mean, I remembered it because of Victor saying…"

Harry trailed off, remembering that particular conversation and he could have smacked himself. He had to go back and tell Lieutenant Taylor. The person who had drawn the symbol didn't know a thing about the Deathly Hallows, he could have bet on that.

"Harry?" Adam asked when his friend didn't finish his explanation.

The wizard was already on his feet, though, and practically ran for the door, telling Adam to come with him.

"We need to go back to your workplace. I need to talk to Lieutenant Taylor. I made a mistake, there is something he need to know."

Adam's head was still spinning at how quickly Harry and he went back to his office. Harry was muttering all the way there, hoping that Mac was still in his office, because he really thought it was important. Thankfully, Mac was still fond of staying afterhours."

Mac was not only there, but also absolutely stunned to see them appear in his office. He hadn't planned on seeing Harry again so soon, as he hadn't yet had time to read the book in details. He frowned.

"Adam? Harry? Is something the matter?"

Adam shrugged helplessly. Yes, there was apparently something wrong, he just didn't know what. Harry, on the other, knew exactly what was going on.

"It's about the meaning of the symbol. I made a mistake. I mean, what I told you was the truth, it was the real meaning of the symbol and that's why it's what came to my mind when I had to explain. But I was talking to Adam about it and I thought back about the very first time I noticed it and I remembered a conversation I had with one of my friend. He told me about what he thought it mean. He was wrong, of course, but I know there are a lot of people who think like him. Actually, they are more people who think like him than those who know the truth. I had totally forgotten about that."

Mac understood what Harry was trying to say. He had not thought about asking the young man if there was another meaning to it and, apparently, there wasn't. There were just lots of people mistaking.

"What is it then?"

"Well, it all goes back to something that happened around the same time as WWII. There was a man in Europe – I know he lived in England for a while but I'm not sure where he was from exactly. Anyway, his name was Gellert Grindlewald. He wasn't a nice man. I mean, at the beginning, he wasn't all that bad. He had some opinions I don't really agree with but… well, everyone is entitled to their beliefs. Except that things happened and he became more and more radical and active and, in the end, well, he killed a lot of people and so did those who followed him. He was very interested in the legend of the Hallows, actually believed in their existence and wanted to find them. That's why he adopted the symbol and now, there are a lot of people who associate, wrongly, this symbol with him."

Mac acquiesced. That may actually be a better possibility that the one from the story. It could have been someone trying to become 'the Master of Death', he knew some people could believe in things like that but it made more sense for someone to adopt a signature from an already known killer than trying to conquer them. Though, it that Grindlewald had killed so many people, even if it was in Europe and so long ago, he wondered how it was that no one made the connection. It should at least be in one of their database. It seemed strange no one had heard about him.

"You said he became more radical but, what was his ideology in the first place?"

That was the important question there. If the killer adopted the ideology of Grindlewald, they could not only reduce the suspect list but also be able to know who would the potential victims be because, for now, they could see no common point, it seemed they were chosen at random, which made it incredibly difficult to predict his moves.

"Purity of blood actually. He thought that some people, an elite, should become a dominant class and control others who he considered less apt at making choices."

He was certain that Harry was telling the truth but Mac could see there was still something he was holding back and that didn't please him at all. It made him seem shifty and, since he was a friend of Adam, he really didn't want to consider the young man as a potential suspect. He would, of course, should the evidence point that way but he would rather avoid it if possible.

"You're not telling me everything," he still said because he wanted to give Harry a chance. "What class of people would be better to govern in his opinion and how exactly do you know so much about someone I never heard about?"

Harry didn't answer him immediately but took the time to look at Adam, as if silently asking him a question. Adam nodded, apparently understanding what Harry wanted to know and Mac let them have this conversation for the moment. He could be patient and, as long as Harry didn't try to leave the office without telling him everything, it was alright. Harry closed his eyes and seemed to make a decision. Adam made sure the office door was closed and Mac looked at Harry curiously.

"Tell me Lieutenant Taylor," he began in a voice that told Mac the rest of his sentence was going to change everything. "Do you believe in magic?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (14/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Mac, slight cameo by Adam Ross  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mac ponders what he has learnt after the killer has been arrested.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **043. Square.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**043. Square.**

Mac felt absolutely exhausted. As he resisted the temptation of leaning against the back of the elevator, he looked at his side, at Harry Potter, the young man who looked as tired as he felt. Mac couldn't help thinking that he, at least, didn't have a life changing revelation in the last few hours. It seemed that it made all the difference.

He still couldn't believe what he had learnt. When Harry had first begun to talk about magic, Mac had been not only disbelieving, but also pissed off at his time being wasted at such an important moment. He had been on the verge of giving the young man a piece of his mind, when he suddenly found his pen transformed in a mouse – a living mouse. He had fixed the small rodent, squeaking on his desk, with incredulity. He had had to fight the urge to pinch himself awake because there was no way this could be a trick.

He had had to sit down and, in an effort to keep his whole world from coming crashing down, he had decided to concentrate on the case and how it would be affected by this new revelation. Then, once he had solved that, he would think about the possible repercussion on his own life. So, he had asked Harry the most important question at the moment: "Who is Grindlewald?"

From then on, everything had gone very quickly.

First, he had told Adam to go home. There was nothing the scientist could do to help at the time and it would be better if he showed up at the office well-rested the morning after. Then, he had had Harry explain to him everything about Grindlewald, his goals, his losing against Dumbledore and his subsequent imprisonment in the jail he had himself created.

Mac had also taken all the evidence they had found on the crime scene, and the pictures, and had given them to Harry to examine. Normally, he would never had let someone outside the lab study such important pieces, but he was conscious he was in over his head and that Harry may see things that would make sense to him.

It hadn't taken Mac very long to realize Harry would make a damn good investigator, should he chose that path. Even if he was only a kid, he seemed to know a lot about what to look for and how to make connection that some people twice his age wouldn't be capable to discover. In that moment, Mac knew something had happened in Harry's life but it had not been the time to ask.

With both Harry and Mac working on the case, it had taken only a few hours before they were able to work out who had done the deeds and how. Normally, Mac always respected the chain of command, he would never act without following proper procedure but, that night, he had had no choice but act without alerting the rest of the team or even his superiors. After all, what could he have said to them?

That was when Harry had told him he could contact the right authority, the Ministry of Magic – and wasn't that a surprise to learn there was a whole government in parallel to the one he knew – and make sure Mac would be able to stay on the case until the killer had been arrested. When Mac had asked how he would be able to ensure that, he had only smiled enigmatically. Of course, he had wanted to know more, but he was pretty sure he already knew way more than he should.

While he hadn't taken an active part in the arrest – and how could he have when he didn't have the right weapon to handle the suspect, he had been involved into the weirdest capture he had ever had the pleasure to witness.

It had cemented in him the knowledge of a whole new world, a world he knew next to nothing about, with its own set of rules, of law, justice system and it was as complicated as the one he already knew.

However, in the end, even though he hadn't physically participated to the final capture, he was left exhausted, knowing that even with his new knowledge he was back to square one, as he knew he could never do anything in this world. Maybe he would have been better off not knowing anything, but there was no going back. Oh, he had been offered but he rather liked having his memories where they were. He just had to accept the truth and, maybe, he would have to get Harry to answer a few more questions, or a millions of them.

Of course, that would be once Harry had dealt with Adam, who looked quite mad at not having been kept informed of their little excursion, and once he, himself, had dealt with the rest of his coworkers whose gazes held interrogations he would never be able to answer.


	15. Chapter 15

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship (15/16)  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Harry decides it's time for Adam to know everything.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **054. Air.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**054. Air.**

Thankfully, Adam was not the kind of person to hold a grudge. He had been mad for all of a few hours after Harry told him that Mac and he had gone to arrest the killer with the rest of the Aurors. Adam had hated that Harry put himself in danger like this and the wizard could understand, especially when Adam had never been around him during the years where danger had been normal for him. Sure, Adam knew he had been through a lot but he didn't know the specific and that meant he wasn't aware of just what kind of situation Harry was used to.

Harry had been hesitating for a while now. He had opened up to Adam about a lot. He had told him a few things concerning the final battle, he had talked about all the people he had lost and had even admitted to the abuse he had had to put up with at the Dursley, something he had never done before, not even with Ron and Hermione. However, there was one thing he had never actually talked about and it was his role in all of the events that took place from the moment he came back to the wizarding world, until Voldemort's ultimate demise.

However, with what had just happened with Mac, who was now aware of the existence of the magical world and would probably ask Harry to consult sometimes, just to see if one of their cases didn't lead to something there, the young man felt it was time to really clear the air. It was time for him to tell Adam everything about who he was, who he had been, all of what he had done in the past. He just hoped it wouldn't change Adam's perception of him.

Adam had gone to work that day unaware of his friend's musing and Harry had decided that, once he was back home, he would talk to him. Now, it was finally the time and he was nervous for the first time in a long while. He knew Adam already knew the basics of what he had to say, but he lacked the details and the details would change everything.

"Hey!" Adam said cheerfully as he came in; he didn't seem all that tired and he was almost early, something akin to a miracle.

"Not a very long day at work?" Harry asked as he saw his friend practically bounce in the living room.

"Nope," Adam answered. "Except for Mac, who had to fend off all the questions about the strange way our last case ended. I don't envy him right now, Stella really didn't look very happy to be kept out of the loop."

Harry had to smile at that. Oh, yes, he didn't envy Mac Taylor either right now. It was hard to keep such a secret, especially considering what the people he had to keep it from did for a living. However, such was the curse of knowing what amounted to classified information.

"I have to talk to you, Adam," Harry said and, immediately, Adam seemed worried; Harry hated that his friend was still so insecure with him but he knew that you couldn't change so many years of self-doubt in so little time. "Nothing bad. Just…. I think you should know about my past, everything about my past."

Adam perked up at that. Finally, his curiosity would be entirely satisfied. He felt very happy knowing Harry trusted him enough for that and he immediately shut his mouth, giving Harry his complete attention.

"I never had to explain everything before, especially to someone who's not part of the magical world, so if you have questions, don't hesitate ok, sometimes I forget that something so evident for me wouldn't be for you."

Adam nodded. He knew himself enough to be certain he wouldn't be able to help himself anyway, whether he had Harry's permission or not. At least, this way, he didn't have to feel guilty about interrupting.

It was a very long night for both of them, though Adam didn't really see the time fly, not with such a riveting story to listen to. It was magical, both literally and figuratively. He had gazillions of questions running around his brain and he just didn't know which one to ask first but he was aware that he had all the time in the world to ask them so, instead, he just listened, only interrupting when absolutely necessary to understand the tale.

Harry began with what had happened that famous Halloween night, the one who had been in the books Adam had read when he was a child. It was detailed, way too detailed for the memory of a one-year old boy and Harry told him he had seen everything through Voldemort's eyes, one time their minds had connected.

He skipped the years spent at his relatives; he didn't need to tell Adam since, after all, they had already talked about it. Instead, he directly continued with his Hogwarts years.

Adam didn't remember his own school day being so full of adventures and dangers. The most he had been through had been the bullying from the bigger boys who liked to take him as a victim but, even that, had been more or less tame. He had had good teachers, who did their best to help the student, not try to kill them half the times, as Harry apparently had.

All these situations he had been in, Adam wasn't even sure he would be able to handle them at his age, never mind as a child. However, Harry had handled them, had grown up and had ended up being the central figure of a brewing war the moment he had seen one of his friends being murdered right in front of him.

It became more difficult for Harry then, Adam could see it. The wizard was less comfortable, more hesitant, as he talked about the last three years of his living in the magical world. He could understand, though, with everything going on, with the war silently growing as the government did everything in their power to prevent the truth from being known, with the death eaters becoming more and more powerful until, finally, they attacked the school and Harry's mentor died, leaving him the task of finishing Voldemort's reign of terror with his friends' help.

Harry talked about his year on the run, when he was considered Undesirable Number One, as he had to escape the Ministry, who at this time had been Voldemort's, and all the death eaters running around, all the while trying to figure out how to kill the Dark Lord. Finally, he talked about Ron, Hermione and himself coming back to Hogwarts, where the last battle happened, the pain to see some of his loved one die so close to the end.

To Adam's horror, Harry admitted having gone to Voldemort to let him deal the killing blow, as if was the only way to end the war and how could someone so young choose to make that kind of sacrifice to save the people around him?

Harry concluded his tale with the fight between himself and Voldemort and how it had left Harry a hero, with much more fame than he ever wanted to have. He told Adam how he had to leave England if he wanted to live and not just survive anymore.

Once Harry stopped talking, Adam felt emotionally exhausted but it was nothing compared to Harry. They both knew, though, that they would now be closed than ever before, no matter how many confidences had already been made in the past.


	16. Chapter 16

**Title: **A Different Kind of Friendship  
**Author: **loonie_lupin (ff. net)/nilitara (livejournal)  
**Fandom: **HP, CSI :NY

**Characters/pairing** : Harry Potter, Adam Ross (friendship only)  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Harry's musing as the whole team picnics in Central Park.  
**For: **crossovers100  
**Prompt: **094. Independance Day.  
**Disclaimer: **The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**094. Independance Day.**

Time had flown by quickly since that case he had to collaborate on. It was now a few weeks later and Harry, who, up to now, had had no more contact with the lab and its residents – except from Adam of course -, was finally in measure to meet all of them.

It was the Fourth of July, Independence Day, which Harry had totally forgotten was celebrated in the States. The whole team had been given their day off, and quite frankly Harry wasn't sure how they had managed that, and to celebrate, they had decided on a picnic, all together, in Central Park.

Adam had apparently asked if he could invite his friend and, of course, there was no one who said no, not after what Harry had gone. Adam had then made his invitation to Harry and the young wizard had eagerly accepted. After all, he had been hearing about all of them for so long, without ever meeting them; he would at least be able to put a face on their names from now on, whenever Adam related an anecdote to him.

The Park was pretty much full; they were hardly the one people out there who had deemed it a good place for a celebration. Still, it was no so crowded that they felt claustrophobic. Harry had been welcomed with keen enthusiasm, and a kiss on the cheek, courtesy of Jess who had, it seemed, decided she would treat him as a kid brother. He couldn't really understand, they hadn't spent that much time in each other company, but he wouldn't complain about it.

He finally got to meet Stella, who irradiated a motherly feeling that Harry had not often been able to witness in people around him, Mrs. Weasley excluded, and Danny, with whom he clicked immediately. Then again, considering Adam's description and his strong friendship with him, he had pretty much expected it. He had no problem getting along with both Hawkes and Cid, even though he supposed they didn't have too many common interests. Still, they were nice people and Lindsay was a riot to be around, especially when she got the idea to tease the hell out of Danny.

Flack and Mac were happy enough to see him again, more so Flack. Harry guessed it was because it was hard for Mac to forget he had been the one to turn his whole life upside down. It was pretty understandable and they probably should meet alone one of these days, just so Harry could explain everything in more details to Mac. Maybe it should already have happened but finding the time was difficult because Mac had been pelted with work these last few weeks, as Harry had been made aware with how little time Adam had spent at home recently.

The day was sunny and Harry could feel the warmth on his skin; it was a nice weather for an outing. The conversation flowed easily, whether they talked about work or not and Harry, even though he had decided to stay a bit out of it, was listening with keen interest. He participated less than usual, still answering questions when asked but preferring for the other to talk instead. After all, he had to be very careful with what he was saying and, sometimes, he was afraid to sleep up and make a mistake, especially when his guard was down.

Still, he did talk quite a bit about England and the difference he had noticed between his country of origin and New York. He was also asked about his parents and he did everything in his power not to make things too uncomfortable with his answers. It helped that he had said his final goodbye to them one year ago, during the battle. He was still sad thinking about all he had missed with them, but he knew they were always with him and would be until the very end. That changed everything for him, this certainty. Thankfully, the others noticed his lack of discomfort and forgot to feel guilty about asking about a delicate subject.

He made a special connection with Lindsay, due to some common point between the two of them. First, they decision to leave everything behind at one point in their life but, mostly, it was Lindsay's story about the most traumatizing moment in her life, the one who had defined who she had become. Harry knew better than pity her for it; he knew it had made her stronger, had contributed to make her who she was, a great forensic scientist. Like him, she was a survivor and they both knew that, yes, sometimes it was hard to think about those who had died when you hadn't, but you learnt to live with it and made it your reason for staying alive.

When Harry had seen her genuine surprise at being understood so well, he had explained about Cedric. It was one of the only stories he could tell without having to lie, just omitting some fact. The others had listened and given their compassion but he didn't need it, not anymore. Cedric had become a memory he would cherish instead of the reminder of an awful time in his life. He had stopped feeling guilty. He would always regret that Cedric had had to die, simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but he knew it hadn't been his fault.

Eventually, the day passed, too quickly, as they had fun, sometimes acting as younger than they were and Harry watched with a smile as he was reminded a bit of the celebrations that were sometimes held in Hogwarts, except for the feast. Everything was surrounded with joy and laughers and Harry was almost surprised when the horizon began to darken and the time arrived for the fireworks to begin. He couldn't believe time how much time had passed without him notice, and he couldn't help but wish the day would go on for a while still.

He hoped he would see all of them again, hoped that he would get the pleasure to hang out with them. Not necessarily all together as that day, but a few people at a time because he had the impression that they were a close knit group and he wanted to be part of it, not only through Adam, but also for himself.

And as he watched the fireworks, all of the other looking in the same direction at the same time, he couldn't help feeling as if they were a family and that maybe, just maybe, there would be a place for him in this family. He could only hope.


End file.
